Discharge lamp arrangement

ABSTRACT

A lamp comprising a composition of two or more parallel arranged fluorescent lamps whose ends are rigidly connected together.

Umted States Patent 1 1 1111 3,753,027 Kolkman Aug. 14, 1973 DISCHARGE LAMP ARRANGEMENT [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Kolklnan, Emmasingel, UNITED STATES PATENTS Netherlands 2,346,522 4/1944 Gessel 313/109 3,245,025 4/1966 Goddard et al. 313/318 ux [73] m cmpm'amnNew 2,366,252 1/1945 Geiger 313/318 x York, 2,160,786 5/1939 Peterson... 3,579,174 5/1971 Gilbert [22] Flled 1971 3,602,755 8/1971 Hoeh 313/318 x [21] Appl. No.; 117,508

Primary Examiner-Eli Lieberman Foreign pp y Dam Attorney-Frank R. Trlfan Mar. 20, 1970 Netherlands 7003970 [57] ABSTRACT.

52 us. 0 313/318 240/51.1 1 R 339/57 A mPdsin8 a P 359/145 R lel arranged fluorescent lamps whose ends are rigidly 51 1111.01. 11011 5/50 muted [58] Field of Search 313/318, 274, 109,

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENflEmuc 14 on 3353327 Fig.4

INVENTOR.

DIRK KOLKMAN BY 2%). If ENT DISCHARGE LAMP ARRANGEMENT The invention relates to an electric lamp comprising a combination of at least two parallel low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps.

Low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps are substantially always cylinders having a length which is considerably larger than the diameter. The current supply contacts of such lamps are substantially always provided in lamp caps which are present at the ends of the cylinders. Generally the current supply contacts are pin-shaped. The overall length of the lamp is thus extended by the length of the pins. The lamps are usually secured in lamp holders which adjoin the ends of the lamp. A drawback of this known arrangement is that the luminous portion is smaller than the overall length. This drawback becomes particularly manifest when the lamps are arranged in a fitting which is provided with some light transmitting closure or other, for example, a glass plate. In fact, the fitting then does not transmit light throughout but has dark edges at the area of the lamp holders. This drawback is particularly manifest in fittings in which two or more discharge lamps are placed one along the other for producing a luminous plane.

A lamp according to the invention comprises a combination of at least two parallel low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps and is characterized in that juxtaposed ends of the lamps are rigidly connected together by means of cross-connections and that the cur rent supply contacts for the lamps are present on the sides of the cross-connections.

In a construction according to the invention only a small quantity of opaque'material is present at the ends of the lamps so that dark ends or edges are substantially prevented.

In addition further advantage may be obtained by deliberated structural details. These constructions and their advantages will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 illustrates on a small scale a plan view of a composition of two lamps;

FIG. 2 illustrates in a detailed elevational view one end of the composition of lamps;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line III- ---III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

In FIG. I the low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps are denoted by the reference numerals l and 2. The ends of these lamps are provided in two cross bars 3 and 4 by which they are rigidly connected. The reference numerals 5, I and 11 denote pin-shaped contact members which are provided in the sides of the bars 3 and 4, respectively. The reference numeral 6 denotes a starter for the lamps which are provided on the side of bar 4.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the bar 3 and the lamps secured therein when a cross-section is taken on the line Il--ll of FIG. I. The bar 3 between the lamps has a U-shaped cross-section as is clearly apparent the current supply pins 10 and 11 are secured. The current supply wires 12 and 13 are connected to these pins within the cross-section of the bar. The current supply wires 12 and 13 lead to one of the current lead-through wires of the cathodes of lamp 2 and lamp 1, respectively. The other sides of the cathodes are connected to the current supply wires 14 and 15, respectively. These wires are connected together at 16 within the bar 3. The cathodes are electrically arranged in series through this lead-through connection 16. This is necessary for certain arrangements in which the lamps are electrically arranged in series. For other arrangements such a lead-through connection may be undesirable and in that case, for example, four contact pins may be provided in the insulating plate 9 and may be connected to the cathodes. If desired, a starter 6 may be provided between the lamps as is shown with reference to FIG. 1. In a certain series arrangement and connection of the cathodes to the starter, a lamp can be made which has only 4 contact pins. Since the width of the bar 3 (which is the dimension measured at right angles to the plane containing the axes of the lamps 1 and 2) is considerably smaller than the diameter of the lamps land 2, respectively, it is possible to give the contact pins 10 and 11 a length such that they do not project beyond the contact plane l-l on the outer sides of the lamps l and 2. This is a great advantage when packaging such lamps.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line III- III of FIG. 2 in which the same reference numerals denote corresponding elements. It is particularly evident from this Figure thatonly a small quantity of opaque material such as material for lamp holders which might produce dark portions or edges in a fitting is present at the ends of the lamps.

The lamp consisting of the combination of the lamps l and 2 may be secured in the fitting by means of lamp holders which are provided, for example, on the bottom of the fitting. The lamp is urged into these lamp holders with the pins 5, l0 and 11, which pins thus support and at the same time electrically connect the lamp to the supply source.

It will be evident that the invention is not limited to a combination of two low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamps, but three or more of such lamps may be combined to form an assembly.

Particularly for lamps whose length does not exceed 50 cms the invention is significant, for at this short length the known lamp holders produce comparatively large dark ends at the ends.

What is claimed is:

I. A single composite lamp comprising a combination of at least two individual low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamps, said mercury lamps being physically arranged parallel to each other, said mercury lamps having ends juxtaposed to each other in opposite pairs, each pair of said ends being rigidly mechanically connected together by a cross-connection member, said composite lamp having fixed current supply contacts being provided on the sides of the crossconnection member, transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the lamps, said mercury lamps being wired to said contacts by flexible wiring extending through the member directly into said lamps.

2. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of the cross connection members is smaller than the diam eter of the lamps. I

members are provided between two lamps.

6. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein one cross connection members between two lamps includes a starter for one or more lamps.

7. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the length of the lamps is less than 50 cms.

8. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two lamps are electrically arranged in series. 

1. A single composite lamp comprising a combination of at least two individual low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamps, said mercury lamps being physically arranged parallel to each other, said mercury lamps having ends juxtaposed to each other in opposite pairs, each pair of said ends being rigidly mechanically connected together by a cross-connection member, said composite lamp having fixed current supply contacts being provided on the sides of the cross-connection member, transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the lamps, said mercury lamps being wired to said contacts by flexible wiring extending through the member directly into said lamps.
 2. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of the cross connection members is smaller than the diameter of the lamps.
 3. A lamp as claimed in claim 2 wherein the extreme outer dimensions of the lamps lie in upper and lower contact planes and the contact members are pins of such a length that they do not project beyond the contact planes.
 4. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cross connection members have a U-shaped cross-section and wherein the connecting wires between the lamps and the contact members are present within the U.
 5. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the contact members are provided between two lamps.
 6. A lamp as claimed iN claim 1 wherein one cross connection members between two lamps includes a starter for one or more lamps.
 7. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the length of the lamps is less than 50 cms.
 8. A lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two lamps are electrically arranged in series. 